Episode 4945 (8th December 2000)
Plot The demonstrators arrive early in the morning to find that Les is the only representative of the tarmacking team. Vera is still unconscious but is described as critical but stable, so Tyrone and Maria convince Jack to go home and rest. Audrey is all set for her lunch date with Prince Charles. Hayley is still desperate to talk with Roy about their differing views on her sexuality, but Roy is only keen to help with the demo. Tyrone and Maria panic about Vera's worsening state and phone Curly while he is in the Kabin. Norris eaves-drops in on Curly's telephone call and thinks Vera has died. Natalie spends the day with the brewery who want to buy the Rovers to transform it into a theme pub. She also overhears Liz and Geena pity her situation as a single mother with a pub to run. Jack reads Vera's letter aloud to Curly, which is a confession about an affair casting doubt on Terry's father. Jack confesses that he knew all along about the affair, but is confident that he is the father. They are joined by a devastated Emily who announces that Vera has died. They rush to the hospital to find out that she is alive, but still unconscious. Norris breaks the news of Vera's death to the rest of the Rovers, before Curly arrives back to reassure everyone that she is still alive. The demo takes a turn for the worse when Audrey announces that the council has an injunction to stop the protesters. Ken and Duggie create a fake preservation order. Terry arrives at the hospital but is told to leave by Jack. He stays to see Vera wake from her coma. The police break up the demo but Eileen and Dennis lead a convoy of taxis down the Street to form a blockade. Peter Barlow turns up and isn't surprised to find that his dad Ken is leading the demonstration. He announces that he's left the navy and has split up with his wife. Hayley is devastated to hear that Roy doesn't see her as a real woman. She realises that she can't live with someone who doesn't accept her as a woman, packs her bags and leaves. Roy is shattered. The ruckus in the street convinces Natalie that a pub is no place to bring up a child, and she tells Geena that she is moving on. Duggie's fake preservation order arrives. The dubious police force the tarmackers to go. Ken makes a speech to the celebrating residents about tradition, community and leads everyone in a toast to the Street. Cast Regular cast *Ashley Peacock - Steven Arnold *Les Battersby - Bruce Jones *Toyah Battersby - Georgia Taylor *Martin Platt - Sean Wilson *Ken Barlow - William Roache *Blanche Hunt - Maggie Jones *David Platt - Jack P. Shepherd *Norris Cole - Malcolm Hebden *Sarah Platt - Tina O'Brien *Audrey Roberts - Sue Nicholls *Deirdre Rachid - Anne Kirkbride *Dev Alahan - Jimmi Harkishin *Jack Duckworth - William Tarmey *Vera Duckworth - Elizabeth Dawn *Tyrone Dobbs - Alan Halsall *Maria Sutherland - Samia Ghadie *Mike Baldwin - Johnny Briggs *Rita Sullivan - Barbara Knox *Hayley Cropper - Julie Hesmondhalgh *Duggie Ferguson - John Bowe *Roy Cropper - David Neilson *Natalie Barnes - Denise Welch *Geena Gregory - Jennifer James *Liz McDonald - Beverley Callard *Curly Watts - Kevin Kennedy *Emma Watts - Angela Lonsdale *Emily Bishop - Eileen Derbyshire *Eileen Grimshaw - Sue Cleaver *Dennis Stringer - Charles Dale *Janice Battersby - Vicky Entwistle *Linda Baldwin - Jacqueline Chadwick *Terry Duckworth - Nigel Pivaro *Peter Barlow - Chris Gascoyne *Steve McDonald - Simon Gregson Guest cast *Nurse Dooley - Donna Lythgoe *Sean Swift - Steve Garti *Police Sergeant - John Graham Davies *Sir Trevor McDonald - as himself *Stan Potter - Noddy Holder *Prince Charle - as himself Notes *This live anniversary episode was an hour long edition broadcast at 8.00pm. One hour before, Episode 1 had been repeated with an introduction by William Roache from the Outdoor Set where last minute preparations for the live episode were taking place. *All the scenes were broadcast live from the Outdoor Set and the Stage One studio complex next door. The episode charted the events of a single day but since transmission was during the hours of darkness all scenes set outdoors were near the start and end of the episode with the middle section being studio based. The opening moment of the first scene showing Sarah telling David Platt to come inside for his breakfast was transmitted in black and white with a "scratchy film" overlay to simulate supposed early broadcasts, completely missing the point that people's perception of what audiences saw in the early days of television is incorrect, based as they are on low quality telerecordings of programmes shown either live or videotaped which had perfectly clear pictures. *The last "indoor" scene in the episode was, uniquely, acted out inside the shell of the outdoor Rovers set with suitable scenery and close-ups used. This was to enable the actors concerned to be able to move directly to the outdoor set for the final scene and not have to make their way from the Stage One complex. *The only pre-recorded material in the episode was a news bulletin shown on the Rovers television set, read out by Trevor McDonald and showing Audrey Roberts being presented to Prince Charles. In reality the scene shown was that of Sue Nicholls meeting the Prince when he visited the studios earlier in the day and his staff had previously agreed for the footage to be included in the narrative of the episode. *This was the first live edition of the programme to be broadcast since 3rd February 1961. *Last appearance of Terry Duckworth until 26th October 2001. *First appearance of Peter Barlow as played by Chris Gascoyne Category:Extended episodes Category:2000 episodes